BA single honours Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring 2019/20

Year of entry

The ‘helping professions’ have experienced significant growth in the past decade. They offer a range of career routes that are both challenging and rewarding.

You will gain a deep understanding of the disciplines of counselling, coaching and mentoring, and develop your empathetic and interpersonal skills – assets that underpin many activities in work and in life, and are vital for building effective relationships with clients.

You will be taught by passionate and experienced tutors supported by a wide range of guest speakers, which could include psychotherapists, business coaches, careers consultants and art therapists.

This course is suitable for anyone with an interest in the broad remit of the ‘helping professions’ as a possible career route. The course provides an introduction to the disciplines of counselling, coaching and mentoring which reside in a sector which has experienced significant growth in the past decade.

You will develop not only knowledge concerning the disciplines of counselling, coaching and mentoring, but also the skills to build effective relationships with clients.

Studying Counselling Coaching and Mentoring at Canterbury Christ Church University not only enables you to develop specific skills and knowledge for employment in these sectors but also the interpersonal skills vital for effective engagement in any workplace setting. These are the employability skills that so many employers seek and so often cannot find.

You will normally attend teaching sessions at the Canterbury Campus for the equivalent of two days per week.

Face-to-face teaching will be complemented by the use of our virtual learning environment, guided reading, tutorial support and project related activity.

During years one and two, you will study six 20 credit modules per year. Year three will provide options to develop independent study skills.

Work experience In the first year, you will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of contexts where you could utilise your knowledge and skills in counselling, coaching and mentoring by visiting work places. In addition, invited speakers give insights about their work in the field. We also encourage and support your participation in voluntary or part-time work throughout the course.

90% of our most recent Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring students were in jobs or further study 6 months after finishing their course. Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2016/17

Year 1

Introduction to counselling, coaching and mentoring

The aim of this module is to develop a critical understanding of the terms/features of the activities described as counselling, coaching and mentoring. This module explores each activity and identifies its purpose, aim and functions and considers a range of contexts in which each activity might operate.

Reflective practice

This module introduces you to the theory and practice underpinning reflective and reflexive practice, enabling the evaluation of learning and skills development.

Models of coaching and mentoring

This module will enable you to define coaching and mentoring through consideration of the similarities and differences.

Introduction to counselling theory and approaches (1)

Building on the broad introduction to counselling, coaching and mentoring in the first module, the aim of this module is to introduce key counselling theories and approaches.

Exploring Professional Context

This module will provide you with an opportunity to explore the different contexts in which counselling, coaching and mentoring take place, and to consider in which circumstances any or all of these skills might be appropriate.

Counselling and interpersonal skills (1)

This module will enable you to move from theory to practice, by developing a critical understanding of a range of key counselling skills and processes and applying these in practice.

Year 2

Ethics and values

This module aims to explore the ethical dimensions of working in the roles of counsellor, coach and mentor. Reflecting on your own values and understanding of ethical issues, you will consider professional boundaries, including issues relating to the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Counselling theory and approaches (2)

The aim of the module is to develop a critical understanding of a range of key counselling theories and approaches. It builds on the introduction to counselling theory and approaches module undertaken at Level 4 by critically examining the principles and features of Transactional Analysis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Coaching and mentoring in context

This module will build on work completed at Level 4 to provide you with an opportunity to explore the different contexts in which coaching and mentoring take place, and to consider whether coaching or mentoring is likely to be appropriate.

Counselling and interpersonal skills (2)

The aim of this module is to build on and develop the introduction to counselling and interpersonal skills undertaken at Level 4. The module continues to develop a critical understanding of a range of advanced counselling skills, techniques and strategies and apply these in practice within an integrative counselling approach.

Working with diversity

This module aims to introduce you to key ideas and concepts around diversity issues. The module focuses on the ways in which diversity has relevance to current practice in counselling, coaching and mentoring.

Reflective personal development

This module will enable you to continue to learn and apply theories of critical reflection, and to continue to evaluate your learning and development through the programme. In particular the module will enable you to reflect further on your workplace experience and its relationship with your emerging career development.

Year 3

Managing change

This module provides an opportunity to evaluate the processes involved in the management of change at the personal, organisational level and students will be able to apply ideas around change management to the fields of counselling, coaching and mentoring.

Working with clients in groups

The aim of the module is to develop a critical understanding of the therapeutic and learning capacity of group work. The role of group work in the helping professions will be established whilst key concepts relating to group work will be examined.

Evaluation and research methods

The aim of this module is to introduce critical appraisals of research activity in relation to notions of ‘truth’ and epistemology. This will include a consideration of broad methodological issues and particular data / evidence gathering instruments.

Reflection on learning (20 credits)

The reflection on learning module will enable you to evaluate your learning and development during the programme. Theories of critical reflective practice will be applied to the field of counselling, coaching and mentoring. In particular the module will ask you to question and challenge your assumptions in the context of your personal values.

Independent study (40 credits)

The Independent Study is intended to enable you to research an aspect of counselling, coaching or mentoring, and to focus upon pertinent issues and areas of professional and academic interest.

We continually review and where appropriate, revise the range of modules on offer to reflect changes in the subject and ensure the best student experience. We will inform applicants of any changes to the course structure before enrolment.

Successful completion of the course could lead directly into employment, for example, progression into professional roles including learning mentors, pastoral support workers in education, mentoring or coaching within human resource departments, social care and health-related roles. Alternatively, upon successful completion you could undertake further professional training as a therapeutic counsellor, life coach or other role in the helping professions. This could involve progression to postgraduate study.

Each taught module has a standard 50 hours of student contact. This will typically be composed of lectures, seminars, group work, tutorials and feedback on assignments. You will also be expected to engage in 150 hours of self-directed study per taught module.

The course is taught by a team of 6 senior lecturers, the majority of whom are also current practitioners in coaching, mentoring and/or counselling. All are experienced in a range of settings such as career counselling, psychotherapy and coaching.

Reflecting the nature and content of this course we will assess both your academic knowledge and also the development and understanding of professional interpersonal skills. Accordingly, you will be assessed through a range of methods, including individual and group presentations, posters, assignments and timed essay. There are no exams.

All tutors teaching on the programme have worked and/or continue to practice with clients in a range of settings and we utilise our centre’s contacts and networks with relevant industry stakeholders to enhance and advise on the development of the programme, and on our research and consultancy.